Vice President Pence, Invoke the 25th Amendment

By Mildred Robertson

America is currently trapped in a conundrum as it awaits a response from the president to legislation needed to stabilize our economy, address our health-care crisis and fund vital government services, both military and domestic. As the nation suffers under the indifference of its Commander-in-Chief, it has become obvious that Vice President Pence must discharge his constitutional duty and invoke the 25^th Amendment in order to break the log jammed legislation lying on the President’s desk at Mar-A-Largo. Section 4 of that amendment states that when a president is unable to fulfill his constitutional duties, but will not step aside, that the Vice President and a majority of either the Cabinet or a body designated by Congress may declare that the President is “Unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.”  

There has been much discussion as to Trump’s psychological state, and whether his mental health is a factor in the manner in which he has governed. Over the past 4 years we have suffered under his leadership much as a child subjected to the whims of a schizophrenic parent. As we await his signature on legislation required to keep the government open and address other pressing governmental needs, many in the government and the media wring their hands, wondering how he will respond.

He has tied the hands of Congress due to his refusal to either veto the Covid-19 legislation lying on his desk or sign it. But whether his failure to carry out his constitutional duties is based on mental deficiency or simple mean-spiritedness, it is clear that his intent is to stymie both Republicans and Democrats in their quest to address a dire public need in order to assuage his wounded ego. Without his action, Congress can neither move forward to over-ride his veto or submit a revised bill that meets his specifications. If he refuses to act, that legislation will have to wait until the new administration takes office January 20, 2021.

But the American people don’t have that kind of time.

Trump, it seems, is oblivious to the consequences of his failure to act on the lives of countless Americans facing eviction, the end of unemployment payments, food shortages, job loss and for many…death. His failure to act encumbers funding for Covid-19 treatment which will impede the production and distribution of life-saving vaccinations and will negate the $600 stipend intended to help Americans struggling with lay-offs and job loss. So he is indifferent to the crises Americans face as he wastes precious time on political posturing and adolescent temper tantrums.

This president poses a clear and present danger to the welfare of our nation. He has tested every lever the Founders created to safeguard us from despots and their tyranny. Thus far we have survived with a democracy that is tattered, yet still somewhat intact. But we now teeter on the brink. We must not, at this final hour of his administration, allow him to bring democracy to its knees.

Vice President Pence must do what he has not done during his entire tenure as Vice President. He must make a stand. It is clear that Trump is either unable or unwilling to carry out the duties necessary to maintain the health and well-being of this nation. He represents a clear and present danger to our union.

Vice President Pence must invoke the 25^th Amendment and release this nation from the clutches of a madman who does not value our democracy, and scoffs at the most fundamental tenets of our freedom.  He must invoke the 25^th Amendment, declaring Trump unfit for office. His failure to do so will result in irrevocable harm to our national security and more lives lost unnecessarily. His decision on this matter will dictate whether he will be a historical footnote in the Trump administration or be remembered as a patriot who stood for Democracy